Premier Gladys Berejiklian completed her tour of the Northern Tablelands today visiting fire fighters at Tyringham, where she announced funding for the local Rural Fire Service facility. The state government will provide $20,000 to improve the hot water system and the kitchen. The premier flew by helicopter from Armidale this morning with deputy premier John Barilaro, Emergency Services Minister David Elliott and Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall. They were joined by Oxley MP Melinda Pavey for the final visit, instead of Mr Marshall. The visit lasted less than half an hour, and the premier spent most of her time talking with fire fighters on the ground. A southerly wind has helped contain the blaze, and an RFS spokesperson said it is when containment lines break that the fire becomes dangerous again. State Premier Gladys Berejiklian, Deputy Premier John Barilaro and Emergency Services Minister David Elliot have flown out of Tenterfield Showground to inspect the fire damage at Drake with mayor Peter Petty in tow, after visiting the emergency evacuation centre and Local Land Services' hay distribution operation at the showground. Ms Berejiklian listened sympathetically to first-hand fire stories from a number of locals including Merv McCasker, Nancy Pitkin, Lisa Martin, Jim Landers and Bronwyn Petrie, who all have fire-affected properties on Scrub Road. She complimented the Tenterfield community on its resilience, and encouraged those affected by the fires to take advantage of the services set up at the showground. RFS commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said firefighting water depots are being distributed around the state to make water available to drought-stricken communities like Tenterfield facing a long, dry summer. Emergency Services Minister David Elliot took the opportunity to announce a $40,000 grant to BlazeAid, returning to Tenterfield next week, to support them in their work to help the community recover. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she was "shocked" to observe the severity of drought conditions around Glen Innes as she helicoptered into the town for a briefing on the fire situation in the New England today. She said easing weather conditions had temporarily reduced risk but that there are too many fires to rest comfortably given persistent lack of rainfall. "What shocked me perhaps the most flying over to get here is - I was here a few years ago - and the dry conditions are really, really severe. I can't emphasise that enough. "The locals already know it because they live and feel it every day. "But to see from the air how dry the conditions are really explains how why so many of the fires are traveling so fast, why they're uncontolled; this is really a condition on a condition." The Premier spoke after receiving a briefing at Glen Innes' Northern Tablelands Fire Control Centre this morning, after helicoptering in with Ministers Adam Marshall and David Elliott. RFS commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said NSW residents should expect a "long, drawn out, difficult fire season". "The national outlook for NSW is showing that pretty much the entire Eastern seaboard of NSW adjacent to the ranges, across the ranges and out to the coast is shaping up for above normal fire conditions," he said. He said the conditions at the moment have given emergency service personnel a "reprieve" and allowed a reduction in fire warning to advice level. But dozens of fires across NSW remain difficult to tackle. "We are expecting the reprieve to last only a little while before we see temperatures warm up again towards the end of the week and into the weekend. "And unfortunately we're expecting a deterioration of the weather conditions to increase fire dangers as we head into early next week." The Premier also committed to replace every "drop of private water" used in fire operations, with droughted Tenterfield and other towns often unable to provide dwindling town water. Commissioner Fitzsimmons said there were longstanding arrangements in place in NSW to ensure water is replenished, trucked from areas without a shortage. But he said the big problem can be keeping track of water debts the state owes. "We've been putting out communiques particularly throughout this area to landholders, to community, to be aware that these arrangements (are) in place. "If we don't hear from you then we can't help you." Asked if it would be appropriate for the Federal government to declare a climate emergency given the unprecedented severity of the Spring fires, the Premier batted away the question. "I'll let the Federal colleagues debate that, we're here focused on the situation at hand in NSW and as the premier of this state we're always looking for opportunities to strengthen what we can do to prevent these horrific disasters for taking shape. "But there's no doubt that the exacerbated drought conditions and weather conditions are what's really exacerbating the uncontained fires at the moment." NSW Premier Glady Berejiklian is due to visit the firegrounds on Wednesday to see the damage first hand. She will be travelling to Glen Innes and Tenterfield with Deputy Premier John Barilaro and Emergency Services Minister David Elliot. In Glen Innes they will inspect the region's RFS headquarters. This afternoon they will travel to Drake then Tyringham, near Armidale to meet fire fighters on the ground. As of Tuesday, nine homes and 34 outbuildings had been destroyed and another six homes damaged, with most of the losses occurring at the Drake fire. But more than 220 homes in the immediate areas of the fires have been saved since the emergency began late last week. More on-the-ground assessments will be carried out on Wednesday. Earlier in the week, heavy winds and gales made the fire fighting task difficult but more favourable conditions are forecast for Wednesday, including lighter winds. More than 630 firefighters are still in the field. NSW firefighters are hoping for a better day at three firegrounds on the NSW north coast as they continue efforts to get on top of three major blazes still burning out of control. Watch-and-Act alerts remain in place on Wednesday for fires at Bees Nest near Armidale, Drake near Tenterfield and Shark Creek in the Clarence Valley after emergency warnings were downgraded on Tuesday. The Bees Nest fire has taken out more than 66,500 hectares and is still burning close to homes and properties, although conditions have generally eased off from earlier in the week. But residents in Billys Creek, Tyringham, Marengo, Moonpar, Dundarrabin and Bostobrick have been advised to continue to monitor the situation. The Long Gully road fire at Drake has burned around 40,000 hectares and is still not under control and is continuing to spread in a number of directions due to high winds. The areas most affected are west of the Clarence River in the Girard State Forest. At Shark Creek, the fire is burning south of Yamba and to the north and south of the villages of Angourie and Wooloweyah. This fire has burned through more than 9300 hectares of bushland in the Yuraygir National Park. Clarence Valley Mayor Jim Simmons said he couldn't remember the area being so dry and described conditions as "really terrible". "We haven't seen anything like this in my lifetime," he told AAP. But firefighters have slowed the spread of the flames and "conditions are easing and the immediate threat to properties has eased", the NSW Rural Fire Service said on Wednesday. Australian Associated Press

UPDATED 3PM, TENTERFIELD:

State Premier Gladys Berejiklian, Deputy Premier John Barilaro and Emergency Services Minister David Elliot have flown out of Tenterfield Showground to inspect the fire damage at Drake with mayor Peter Petty in tow, after visiting the emergency evacuation centre and Local Land Services' hay distribution operation at the showground.

Ms Berejiklian listened sympathetically to first-hand fire stories from a number of locals including Merv McCasker, Nancy Pitkin, Lisa Martin, Jim Landers and Bronwyn Petrie, who all have fire-affected properties on Scrub Road.

She complimented the Tenterfield community on its resilience, and encouraged those affected by the fires to take advantage of the services set up at the showground.

RFS commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said firefighting water depots are being distributed around the state to make water available to drought-stricken communities like Tenterfield facing a long, dry summer.

Emergency Services Minister David Elliot took the opportunity to announce a $40,000 grant to BlazeAid, returning to Tenterfield next week, to support them in their work to help the community recover.

UPDATED 1PM, GLEN INNES:

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she was "shocked" to observe the severity of drought conditions around Glen Innes as she helicoptered into the town for a briefing on the fire situation in the New England today.

She said easing weather conditions had temporarily reduced risk but that there are too many fires to rest comfortably given persistent lack of rainfall.

"What shocked me perhaps the most flying over to get here is - I was here a few years ago - and the dry conditions are really, really severe. I can't emphasise that enough.

"The locals already know it because they live and feel it every day.

"But to see from the air how dry the conditions are really explains how why so many of the fires are traveling so fast, why they're uncontolled; this is really a condition on a condition."

The Premier spoke after receiving a briefing at Glen Innes' Northern Tablelands Fire Control Centre this morning, after helicoptering in with Ministers Adam Marshall and David Elliott.

"The national outlook for NSW is showing that pretty much the entire Eastern seaboard of NSW adjacent to the ranges, across the ranges and out to the coast is shaping up for above normal fire conditions," he said.

He said the conditions at the moment have given emergency service personnel a "reprieve" and allowed a reduction in fire warning to advice level.

But dozens of fires across NSW remain difficult to tackle.

"We are expecting the reprieve to last only a little while before we see temperatures warm up again towards the end of the week and into the weekend.

"And unfortunately we're expecting a deterioration of the weather conditions to increase fire dangers as we head into early next week."

The Premier also committed to replace every "drop of private water" used in fire operations, with droughted Tenterfield and other towns often unable to provide dwindling town water.

Commissioner Fitzsimmons said there were longstanding arrangements in place in NSW to ensure water is replenished, trucked from areas without a shortage.

But he said the big problem can be keeping track of water debts the state owes.

The premier leaves Armidale in a helicopter on Wednesday at 9am to visit Glen Innes, Tenterfield and Tyringham. Picture: Jann Karp

"We've been putting out communiques particularly throughout this area to landholders, to community, to be aware that these arrangements (are) in place.

"If we don't hear from you then we can't help you."

Asked if it would be appropriate for the Federal government to declare a climate emergency given the unprecedented severity of the Spring fires, the Premier batted away the question.

"I'll let the Federal colleagues debate that, we're here focused on the situation at hand in NSW and as the premier of this state we're always looking for opportunities to strengthen what we can do to prevent these horrific disasters for taking shape.

"But there's no doubt that the exacerbated drought conditions and weather conditions are what's really exacerbating the uncontained fires at the moment."

EARLIER:

NSW Premier Glady Berejiklian is due to visit the firegrounds on Wednesday to see the damage first hand.

She will be travelling to Glen Innes and Tenterfield with Deputy Premier John Barilaro and Emergency Services Minister David Elliot.

In Glen Innes they will inspect the region's RFS headquarters.

This afternoon they will travel to Drake then Tyringham, near Armidale to meet fire fighters on the ground.

As of Tuesday, nine homes and 34 outbuildings had been destroyed and another six homes damaged, with most of the losses occurring at the Drake fire.

But more than 220 homes in the immediate areas of the fires have been saved since the emergency began late last week.

More on-the-ground assessments will be carried out on Wednesday.

Earlier in the week, heavy winds and gales made the fire fighting task difficult but more favourable conditions are forecast for Wednesday, including lighter winds.

More than 630 firefighters are still in the field.

NSW firefighters are hoping for a better day at three firegrounds on the NSW north coast as they continue efforts to get on top of three major blazes still burning out of control.

Two bushfires continue to burn out of control in NSW but improved conditions are forecast across NSW

Watch-and-Act alerts remain in place on Wednesday for fires at Bees Nest near Armidale, Drake near Tenterfield and Shark Creek in the Clarence Valley after emergency warnings were downgraded on Tuesday.

The Bees Nest fire has taken out more than 66,500 hectares and is still burning close to homes and properties, although conditions have generally eased off from earlier in the week.

But residents in Billys Creek, Tyringham, Marengo, Moonpar, Dundarrabin and Bostobrick have been advised to continue to monitor the situation.

The Long Gully road fire at Drake has burned around 40,000 hectares and is still not under control and is continuing to spread in a number of directions due to high winds.

The areas most affected are west of the Clarence River in the Girard State Forest.

At Shark Creek, the fire is burning south of Yamba and to the north and south of the villages of Angourie and Wooloweyah.

This fire has burned through more than 9300 hectares of bushland in the Yuraygir National Park.

Clarence Valley Mayor Jim Simmons said he couldn't remember the area being so dry and described conditions as "really terrible".

"We haven't seen anything like this in my lifetime," he told AAP.

But firefighters have slowed the spread of the flames and "conditions are easing and the immediate threat to properties has eased", the NSW Rural Fire Service said on Wednesday.